casual cooking and living

Category Archives: vegetarian

The of the year is a time for reflection, of course, my mind turns to food! I looked back on my 2015 blog recipes and have selected my favorite recipes of 2015. The main criteria for my selection is the number of times I have made this recipe during the year…….so drum roll please for my top recipe picks for this year. These are recipes you will want to try and use over and over again as well!

From by the bay, thank you for your interest in this blog and wishing you all a very Happy and Healthy 2016! See you next year!

Maryann

Chili Parmesan Crisps

Ingredients

5 ounces shredded parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. On a parchment lined baking sheet , take half the shredded parmesan and form a rectangle approximately 8″ by 12″. Sprinkle half the chili flakes and all the salt uniformly over the cheese. Layer the remaining cheese lightly pressing down. Sprinkle the remaining chili flakes over the cheese. Bake in the oven until golden brown, approximately 10 minutes. Cool and break into piece. Store in an air tight container until ready to serve.

Options: substitute 1 teaspoon of red chili flakes with one of the following:

minced rosemary, minced thyme, crushed black pepper or fennel seeds

Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups quinoa, rinsed

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 8-ounce package sliced crimini (baby bella) mushrooms

6 ounces fresh assorted mushrooms, stemmed, sliced

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leeks, cleaned well

1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided

2 to 3 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup dry white marsala wine

1 piece parmesan rind ( 2″x 3″ x 1/2″ approximately)

Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Put the butter and oil in a large, deep skillet or saucepan over medium heat. When it is hot, add the fresh mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the leeks and cook until they soften slightly, about 2 minutes.
Add the quinoa, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s glossy and coated with butter and oil. Sprinkle with chili flakes, thyme, salt and pepper, and then add the parmesan rind, broth and wine. Continue to cook, stirring frequently and adding stock as necessary; the mixture should be neither soupy nor dry. Begin tasting the quinoa about 20 minutes after you added it; you want it to be tender but not mushy and to have released some of its starch. Once it reaches that stage, after about 25 minutes, remove the rind and stir in some grated parmesan cheese, along with a little more butter or oil if you like. Stir until the cheeses melt; taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve.

Jalapeno Kale Coleslaw

Serves 6

Ingredients for salad

1 head of green cabbage , finely shredded

1 cup of kale, remove ribs and finely shredded

1/2 cup red onion finely sliced

Ingredients for dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

juice of 4 limes

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 small jalapeno seeded and chopped

Directions

To make dressing combine all the ingredients in a food processor and first pulse and then mix until emulsified. Pour dressing over salad and mix well. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Spicy Zucchini Pineapple Salsa

As seen on “The Food Network Kitchen” by Geoffrey Zakarian

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

2/3 cup small- diced zucchini

2/3 cup small -diced fresh pineapple

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves torn

1 teaspoon finely chopped shallots

1 teaspoon finely minced jalapeno pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon chardonnay or white wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated ginger ( optional)

fine sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

In a large bowl combine all ingredients. Let marinate for at least one hour or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°. In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers with the sugar and salt until finely ground but not powdery. Add the butter and pulse until the crumbs are evenly moistened; transfer to a 9-inch springform pan and press into the bottom and two-thirds up the side. Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, whisk the condensed milk with the lemon juice. In another bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the lemon zest with the egg yolks until pale. Beat in the condensed milk mixture until smooth. Pour the filling into the crust.
Bake the pie for 25 minutes, until the center jiggles slightly and the edges are set. Transfer the pan to a rack; let cool for 1 hour. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap and freeze the pie for at least 6 hours.
Wrap a warm, damp kitchen towel around the side of the springform pan to release the pie; remove the ring. Using a hot knife, slice the pie, transfer to plates and serve.

To warm up on a fall chilly evening, you’ll love the light yet earthy taste of this wild mushroom soup! I love to use a mix of mushrooms depending on what’s available along with some dried porcini or chanterelle’s, a staple in my pantry. This is a soup you can prepare quickly. The earthy mushroom taste is brightened with some lemon zest and juice and there is a hint of heat from the red chili flakes. This dish is very versatile, whether you make it for a quick weeknight dinner or serve as a first course for a special dinner party. Enjoy!

Place the dried mushrooms in a small dish, add boiling water just to cover, and leave to soak. Heat a large stock pot pan, then add olive oil and your fresh mushrooms. Stir around very quickly for a minute, then add chili flakes, shallots and thyme and a small amount of seasoning. Saute a minute add half of your porcini/chanterelles chopped up, and the rest left whole. Strain the soaking liquid to remove any grit, and add it to the pan. Cook for about 20 minutes until most of the moisture disappears. Season to taste, and add your stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for around 20 minutes. Remove half the soup from the pan and purée in a food processor then pour it back in stock pot. Add the parsley, cream, lemon zest and juice. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve warm.

This is a delicious, healthy and very easy dish to make. Such an infrequent grouping of adjectives. I love making my quinoa risotto , especially during the week when I’m looking to prepare something quickly after a long day at the office but not willing to compromise on the flavor. This mushroom quinoa risotto really delivers. This starts with a base of sweet leeks which is layered with an assortment of wild mushrooms and then quinoa. Red chili flakes add the right under note of heat and parmesan the proper balance of saltiness. The result is a dish that rivals the best risotto. Even better than risotto is that warmed leftovers are just as good the next time!

From by the bay, wishing you healthy quinoa food memories!

Maryann

Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups quinoa, rinsed

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 8-ounce package sliced crimini (baby bella) mushrooms

6 ounces fresh assorted mushrooms, stemmed, sliced

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leeks, cleaned well

1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided

2 to 3 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup dry white marsala wine

1 piece parmesan rind ( 2″x 3″ x 1/2″ approximately)

Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Put the butter and oil in a large, deep skillet or saucepan over medium heat. When it is hot, add the fresh mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the leeks and cook until they soften slightly, about 2 minutes.
Add the quinoa, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s glossy and coated with butter and oil. Sprinkle with chili flakes, thyme, salt and pepper, and then add the parmesan rind, broth and wine. Continue to cook, stirring frequently and adding stock as necessary; the mixture should be neither soupy nor dry. Begin tasting the quinoa about 20 minutes after you added it; you want it to be tender but not mushy and to have released some of its starch. Once it reaches that stage, after about 25 minutes, remove the rind and stir in some grated parmesan cheese, along with a little more butter or oil if you like. Stir until the cheeses melt; taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve.

Moving past Thanksgiving weekend, here is a wonderful brussel sprout salad to enjoy! Not only is it healthy, it’s a feast for the eyes. You can make it a light main course, or serve through out the season as a perfect holiday side for dinners and parties. It’s easy to make especially if you have a food processor. It’s definitely a crowd pleaser for parties and it’s one of those dishes you can prepare in advance , and it tastes better as the brussel sprouts marinate in the dressing. Add it to one of your holiday menus this season!

DirectionsCut off the ends of the sprouts and clean. Using a food processsor fitted with a slicing blade coarsely shred the brussel sprouts. Place into a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients. Toss gently. Add fine sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste and serve.

Looking in my refrigerator I saw this big bunch of fresh dill left over making my carrot soup with dill, which really requires very little dill at the end of the day. I hate to waste ingredients, so I decided to make some dill pesto sauce, This pesto sauce should be in every cook’s recipe box. It has so many uses, I’ve just listed a quick ten at the end of this blog, but there are many more , many I’m sure I have not even thought of. If you are ever confronted with some leafy green herb left over such as dill, basil, or parsley consider this pesto sauce to be an easy way to use your herbs. I’m using the classic pine nuts here for texture but you could use any raw or toasted nut you prefer, such as walnut or pistashio.

Lemon Dill Pesto Sauce

Makes approximately 3/4 cup

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups fresh dill

1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley

1 garlic clove, smashed

2 tablespoons pine nuts

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 tablespoons fresh grated parmesan cheese

Directions

In a food processor add the dill, parsley, garlic and pine nuts. Process until minced. Add the lemon juice, olive oil , cheese and salt and blend into a smooth paste. If you are not using right away don’t add the cheese at this point, you can fold the cheese in to the pesto sauce right before using. You can also use the sauce without the cheese. Depending on personal preferences you might choose to not add the cheese when using with fish.

10 Ways to use Lemon Dill Pesto Sauce

1.Use to top fish, such as salmon.

2. Add to cooked pasta, toss with a little extra pasta cooking water and more grated parmesan.

3. Add to cooked potatoes with more olive oil or mayonnaise to make a salad.

4. Serve with fresh vegetables as a dip.

5. Add to some ricotta cheese and mix, making a nice spread for bread as an appetizer.

6. Use as a spread for a sandwich such as chicken on ciabatta bread.

7. Add to tunafish with mayonnaise for a great tunafish salad.

8. Top a fresh vegetable soup such as carrot or pea.

9. Add to mayonnaise as an alternate to tartar sauce.

10. Add more olive oil and a little mustard to make a salad dressing for your greens

It’s my birthday week. In my family we grew up with lots of little traditions, many of which add a little enchantment to the ordinary. My mother prides herself on making birthdays really special and one of my favorites ways in which she did this was with a special birthday dinner. She would tell us, we could have anything we wanted to eat for our birthday and then Mom would make it for the family celebration. For years I requested the same dish – beef stroganoff! I have no idea how I even came up with this as my birthday request year after year, but my memories are filled with wonderful birthday celebrations eating spoons of beef stroganoff. My taste have evolved quite a bit since then , but I still love the flavors from that dish and all the memories along with it. Today, I make the dish much lighter than the one mom made years ago – using mushrooms and creme fraiche. I’ve bumped up the flavors with Madeira, paprika and red chili flakes. The result if delicious. So this week, in celebration of my birthday, I’ll be enjoying some of my mushroom stroganoff…….hmm I can’t wait!

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the onions and garlic and saute for a minute or two until the onions starts to soften. Add the butter to the onion mixture and melt. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cover with a lid. Cook the mushrooms for about 15 minutes, stirring occassionally. Take the lid off and add the paprika, salt, red chili flakes, Madeira and cream fraiche. Stir the mixture and heat for about 5 minutes. Add the parsley and stir. Serve immediately over egg noodles or rice.